So 2021, what can we expect from you?

When we were still immersed in full lockdown back in May (let’s not forget that eight months after we’re still fully in it), the promise of a vaccine that would give us back our previous life sounded like a utopia, or at least a reality too distant to find relief in it. But in record time, the vaccine has arrived and the world has begun to get vaccinated, and yet going to a concert the way we were doing it a year ago, still seems quite unreal and distant in time. So what can we expect from this 2021 from which we all want it to give us back what 2020 took from us?

Well, depending on who you ask, live music will be back by Easter, otherwise surely by Summer. But at the same time, no one can guarantee it's simply not gonna be by the end of the year. Personally, according to the vaccination schedule and plans, I'm optimistic to see venues opening by May under normal circumstances and definitely by Summer all festivals taking place the way we remember them. There may be extra measurements in these ones though, perhaps rapid turnaround Covid-19 tests at festival gates or thermal scanners. However, another proposals like linking digital tickets to each attendee vaccine status or a negative Covid test through a smartphone app (Ticketmaster was at some point looking at it) or even interactive wristbands that vibrate to indicate a lack of social distancing, simply sounds way more unrealistic for such events with massive assistance numbers like music festivals are, where thinking about social distance, it’s simply ridiculous. Undoubtedly greater social responsibility from all of us (whatever that means) will be needed, but everything that is not that will lead into another Summer of festival cancellations throughout the world.

To offer some light, and specially some specific data, here in Germany the government announced last December a €2.5 billion cancellation fund to allow event organisers to plan for the second half of 2021 without the financial risk posed by a potential Covid outbreak. And other countries are proposing similar things (see Austria or Denmark). This extraordinary announcement was first hinted by state secretary Bettina Hagedorn during a Reeperbahn Festival Focus Session on 3 December and was later reinforced by finance minister Olaf Scholz who literally said that the federal government would like to reimburse all costs “which were made in optimistic expectation and cannot be realised due to corona restrictions. Otherwise the pandemic will be over at some point, but there will be no concerts. And so the whole machinery with the many self-employed soloists and musicians gets back on its feet”.

Let’s keep fingers crossed, stay at home and be optimistic for 2021. I want to think that we are about to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Cover photograph by Christian Hedel for Lollapalooza Berlin